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Wednesday, September 30, 2015
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
ILLINOIS BUDGET BATTLE | SAUK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Students could fall off the MAP BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
DIXON – While students could be forced to learn a costly lesson in political gridlock, Sauk Valley Community College is teaching them one in problem-solving. State leaders still haven’t found a way to reach a deal on the state budget, and that’s left the future of
some college grants up in the air. But in the meantime, Sauk officials have found a solution – but it’s one that could knock a nearly $705,000 hole in the college’s budget. And what’s more, the showdown in Springfield could make it harder for students to pay for college come spring. In May, the Legislature approved a budget with $397 million for MAP grants, but Gov. Bruce Rauner
vetoed it at the beginning of the ongoing budget stalemate. Now, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which administers the state-funded Monetary Award Program grants, doesn’t know what will be appropriated for the 2015-16 school year. As a result, it can’t pay schools on behalf of students. Statewide, about 130,000 students rely on MAP funding. Until a budget deal can be
reached, Sauk has decided to pick up the tab for the 468 students eligible for MAP funding in the fall semester – to the tune of $704,706, but the college won’t be reimbursed unless a state budget is approved. And without a state budget, students who depend on the MAP grants to help with college expenses might not get those grants next semester.
PROPHETSTOWN
SAUK CONTINUED ON A4
DIXON
A horsepower of a different color From Ford to Farmall, variety is the name of the game for tractor collector ABOVE: One of Gail Goodell’s nine antique tractors is shown, this one an Oliver 770. BELOW: Gail Goodell of Prophetstown doesn’t like to limit himself to one kind of tractor. His collection includes John Deer, Farmall, Ford, and more.
David Hellmich
BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra
PROPHETSTOWN – Farmall followers have a saying: If it ain’t red, leave it in the shed. Gail Goodell doesn’t see it that way. He ain’t leavin’ any tractor in the shed. You might
say the Prophetsown man is color blind when it comes to tractors. Red, green, yellow – they’re all fine by him. John Deeres are just dandy. Olivers are all right. MinnieMo’s? The Mo the merrier. Goodell, 75, likes ’em all – and he’s got a collection to prove it. TRACTORS CONTINUED ON A5
There’s a lot in the works for new manager Public works director excited about being a jack of all trades BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
DIXON – The newest city department head describes himself as a jack of all trades, master of some. When coordinating multiple departments, that’s a necessary trait to have, Tim Ridder said. Ridder, 43, is Dixon’s new public works director. He was the “consensus choice” of city staff and brings aboard “a wealth of experience,” Interim City Manager David Nord said. When he starts work Oct. 13, he will oversee five departments – streets, water, waste water, airport, and building – in a job was newly created this year, so being a little Tim Ridder familiar with everything is a good place to start, Rid- Dixon’s new public works director der said Tuesday. “I’m coming to Dixon at a really exciting time,” Ridder said. “Dixon went through some tough times. Now, there’s an opportunity to really help the organization and the citizens go from a broken organization to maybe the best.” Ridder has 17 years’ experience, having held public works positions with Des Plaines and Rock Island. His most recent job was general manager of Apple Canyon Lake Properties, a private vacation community in Jo Daviess County, which he left in November. RIDDER CONTINUED ON A4
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
KSB HOSPITAL
Good Samaritan: Lost-and-found policy has a ring of unfairness to it BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
DIXON – For a Mount Carroll woman, there’s no “takesiesbacksies” in “finders keepers.” Charlene Collins has no idea who owns the ring she found in the KSB Hospital parking lot in March, but 6 months after doing what she thought was the right thing, she was told she’ll never see it again. Collins, 68, was visiting a friend at the hospital when she
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found the ring. After dropping it off in the hospital’s lost and found, she said she was told she could claim the ring after 6 months if no one else had. Collins kept tabs on the ring by calling the hospital periodically. But now, 6 months later, even though no one has come forward, hospital officials are citing policy, saying they can’t allow Collins to lay claim to the jewelry. “And it was such a nice-looking ring, too,” Collins said Tuesday. MaryAnn Green, KSB quality
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services director, said employees are “just following our lostand-found policy” with regard to the ring. “If we don’t have anyone that comes forward, it becomes KSB’s property,” Green said. Since no one came forward, it’s at the hospital’s discretion to dispose of it – “by various means available to the hospital,” Green added. This will likely be in the form of a donation, if the owner doesn’t come forward. Collins said she would love it
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ......... A14 COMICS ...............B7
CROSSWORD....B13 FOOD ........... A9-A11 LIFESTYLE ........... A8
if the rightful owner reclaimed the ring. But in the event that person doesn’t, she’s questioning why it should belong to KSB. “What if they found a dog in their parking lot?” Collins said. “Would they keep it?” The counter to that, Green said that KSB knows the ring doesn’t belong to Collins. “It’s really not hers to give back to,” Green said. “She turned it in as a good Samaritan because she found it on our property. And she was hoping an owner would come forward.”
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When Collins was told earlier this week that she would be unable to obtain the ring, she said she was “unhappy about the situation,” but days later it makes her chuckle, as she wonders why it is now in KSB’s discretion to decide the ring’s fate. But mostly, she’s hopeful more publicity will help the owner reconnect with the ring – and she learned a lesson about doing a good deed: Collins laughed and said, “It makes finders-keepers not worth doing.”
Today’s weather High 66. Low 41. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B8.
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